AF-S DX Nkr 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

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this is a great lens, i am impressed with it thew at 18mm thew 200 mm and everything inbetween it takes much sharper photos than the kit lens that came with my D5300. i have seen good reviews and bad reviews of this lens but i cant say anything bad about it. besides the fact that its a bit big and a little heavy ( but what do you expect for a lens like this ) i have no complaints. its probably one of the nicer lenses i have used, basically i am using this lens only, unless i am shooting at night and do not have a tripod, in that case ill use my 35mm f1.8 lens it lets in enough light that i can shoot at night and hold the camera in my hand using a fast shutter speed, or if i know i will not need a zoom and i want a smaller lens on the camera ill throw that on but for the most part i think this lens will be on the camera 90% of the time. the 70-300 mm lens is probably a bit better for IQ and has more zoom which comes in handy but its really nice to have one lens that will do for almost everything and not need to changes lenses if i want a wider angle or a zoom. the 18-200 has great IQ IMO.

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I just purchased this lens for the 2nd time as I dropped my camera and destroyed my first 18-200. I have used the 18-200 VR II for several years. Its true its not as sharp as a prime lens but its more than adequate for the work that I do. This lens rarely ever leaves the body. I really like being able to work close while taking in a wide view at the 18mm end of the lens.

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Great all-around lens. Lots of people like to pick at these superzooms but they do the job for 99.9% of the people 99.9% of the time. And for that other .1% you can rent the $2000 glass you need. Ive had multiple calendar images and magazine covers from images Ive shot on fishing boats in Alaska, where changing lenses can be undesirable due to the probability of getting water inside the camera. No one ever said, "Oh my god, Im sure that image was taken with a superzoom. We cant possibly use it!!" Might be different for wedding or product photography, I wouldnt know. :-)

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This could become my favorite lens! It focuses fairly quickly, zooms smoothly, and seems very sharp even compared to good quality prime lenses. The VR works well, as on any Nikon VR lens. Also typical of Nikon VR there is an audible click when the VR starts (half press of shutter release) and when it turns off (a second or two after releasing the shutter). The zoom lock exists, but I have not yet seen any hint of "zoom creep" even if the lock is disengaged, so I usually forget to use it. The lens balances very nicely on my D7000. The real strength of this lens is that it can reach from 18-200mm, in a compact package. Bokeh is OK, but I wouldnt want to use it for portraits. Dont plan on using this in low light, unless on a tripod; the VR is most effective for stabilizing handheld shots in full daylight at the higher zoom ranges. For handheld shooting in low light (and for portraits) consider the amazing 35mm f 1.8 prime. The included lens hood is so shallow (presumably to accommodate wide angle without vignetting) that it is basically useless. Instead you should consider buying a step-up ring and using 77mm filters, which will allow you to use one set of filters for this and your 12-24mm or 10-24mm super wide angle lens.

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The lens is advertised as Very Good condition Any where else would have listed it as excellent condition. It arrived days before the "expected delivery" date. I have an outing planned this weekend, and the better than prompt delivery of a new toy for my camera will make it all the more fun. I would say overly packed for safety. There was no way it wasnt arriving in the same condition it was shipped. Extremely please with the lens. Im just staring out taking photography seriously and the lens has a very intuitive feel to it. Everything is where you would expect it to be, and it only took a few minutes to get the feel of the lens. Midwest Photo & Electronics will be top of my list for my next purchase of camera stuff.

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I have been wanting the Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G for many months. And I do not regret getting one. I definitely recommend the 5.6G over the 6.3G for it is far more sharper, especially at its max zoom at 200mm. Despite being heavier than the 6.3G, it feels to be more durable and more "professional". Also, I love the fact that I do not have to carry two lens. Now my backpack is weighs less, and I could put other things in it.

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Ive used this lens for about 9 months. The images are clear, accurate, and focused. If you can only purchase one lens to upgrade to, consider this lens! This was my walkaround lens and it stayed on my camera most of the time during trips. I have since upgraded to a FX camera, and a full-frame lens. I want to point out that there are some areas that you should consider: 1. Low light. This is not a 2.8 lens and be sure you increase your ISO to compensate. 2. Bokeh. Its OK, but sometimes muddy. 3. Distortion. Very manageable and hardly noticeable for the most part, but when you shoot things that are supposed to be straight at less than about 50mm there is some pincushioning. 4. Vignetting. In low-light and long-exposure pictures, you can clearly see some falloff in the corners. 5. Weight. If youre not used to big lenses, this will take some getting used to, especially if youre upgrading from a kit lens. With that said, I carried this lens to Utah and to Seattle and loved the results. Certainly a huge improvement over the kit lenses you probably used with your camera when you first purchased it.

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I give this lens a solid four-stars, but its not a five-star lens. Heres why… the lens is NOT heavy to me as some complain in their reviews. Theres a lot of glass inside and a little weight is to be expected. However, Nikon has not done the best job damping the lens creep that this lens exhibits. In the mid-zoom area of the lens (around 100mm onward), if you hold this lens downward, it will extend on its own. Stopped down this lens is mostly sharp across the image area… mostly. At f5.6 the items on the edges will be soft and a little mushy. At f8 its better and at f11 maybe marginally better. Dont go beyond f11… diffraction sets in and the edges and details across the frame start to artifact. Open wide and you will get a lot of out of focus areas but the item youve focused on will be sharp. However, dont expect lovely Bokeh… this is not that kind of lens. As an all-in-one lens for travel, I recommend this lens. As a project lens, meaning shooting portraits, breathtaking landscapes, sunsets, etc. I would not recommend this lens… instead get a couple of primes (a 28 for landscape and a 90 for head shots or a 50 for full body shots).

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My bread and butter lens. Dropped one on a highway as I was changing lenses. Dented the darn rim so it wouldnt adjust. Rather than repair, I bought one just like it. A very nice general type of zoom lens. Works very well. May not be as crisp as higher priced lenses but thats why they are higher priced. I do a lot of HDR photography and use a tripod. I also like using the manual focus for night shots. I feel really good about this lens for someone thats not into the really high end lenses.

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I just got this lens and have used it a couple times. It doesnt have any creep whether the lens is pointed up or down; hopefully this is something finally addressed by Nikon. It comes with a bayonet hood which doesnt stay on particularly well, a fault Ive found with every Nikon lens Ive owned. It is clearly a better constructed lens than those you can purchase for less than $500. Obviously, Im pleased with the ability to traverse such a range with a single lens. I will add to this review as I gain experience with it. 06-05-12: Ive been able to do some shooting and have already noticed that the photos are not as crisp, nor the bokeh as pleasing, as those taken with the kit 18-105mm lens. 06-15-12: I shot 1300+ pictures on vacation in New Mexico. I can say without a doubt creep is not an issue. The lens moves smoothly throughout and stays put. Ive found crispness sufficient when not at the extreme ends of focus; issue with bokeh remains regardless of focus. 01-22-13: At this point I can safely say I am very happy with this lens. If you stay away from opening or closing the lens completely, the images are plenty crisp. Never had a single issue with creep. 08-13-13: Well, took another vacation in New Mexico and suddenly the creep issue appeared. I was on some pretty rough terrain with the camera slung over my shoulder. Sure enough, after hiking for a while Id look down to find the lens had crept out to full zoom. Still, at this point it takes some effort to make creep happen.

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